Green Network Taskforce Kickoff Puts Students at the Heart of Campus Sustainability

CGS Director Prof Lawrence Loh delivered the opening address.

The 23 September Green Network Taskforce Kickoff was held in support of the NUS Sustainability CONNECT Festival 2026.

“Being green is not about what you wear. It is about what you do.” That was the message from Professor Lawrence Loh, Director of the NUS Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS) at NUS Business School and Advisor to the NUS Green Network Taskforce, as he delivered the opening address at the inaugural Green Network Taskforce Kickoff on 23 September 2026. The event was co-organised by CGS and the NUS Office of Student Affairs (OSA), and opened with a welcome speech by Huzaifah Baharudin, a student from the Environmental Science and Engineering Students’ Club (ESESC). It was held in support of the NUS Sustainability CONNECT Festival 2026, the University’s flagship sustainability festival showcasing efforts and insights from across NUS.

Prof Loh reframed what sustainability should really look like on campus. Rather than something worn on the surface, he said it should be “green in your habits, green in your mindset, green in anything that you do”. He also pointed to a gap he has long observed: staff, researchers and administrators have discussed campus sustainability among themselves for years, while the most important constituency, the students, was too often missing from the table. The Green Network, he hopes, can become the bridge that closes that gap and grows into a campus coalition for greening NUS and beyond.

*Student Huzaifah Baharudin opened the event with a welcome speech, setting out the vision for the Green Network.*

The morning brought that vision to life through interactive segments, from a sustainability challenge that tested what participants really knew, to case studies and group discussions on embedding greener practices into student club activities and campus events.

*Participants put their knowledge to the test in a lively Jeopardy-style sustainability challenge.*

*Small-group discussions explored practical ways to make student-led events greener.*

*The Green Network Taskforce working committee, whose efforts brought the Kickoff to life.*

*Participants, organisers and facilitators gathered for a group photo at the Green Network Taskforce Kickoff.*

CGS extends its appreciation to Prof Loh for setting the tone, to OSA for the partnership, and to the student organisers and facilitators driving this movement forward. As Prof Loh reminded everyone, more than anything, “we need to act”.

The Green Network Taskforce Kickoff was held in support of the NUS Sustainability CONNECT Festival 2026. The month-long festival showcased sustainability initiatives and insights from across the University’s colleges, bringing together members of the NUS community to exchange perspectives and explore opportunities for action.